NFL Hall of Famer says he was handcuffed in front of family after ‘lightly’ tapping United flight attendant

Six law enforcement agents boarded the plane and placed Terrell Davis in handcuffs

Former NFL player Terrell Davis, pictured at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 5, 2017, in Canton, Ohio. Davis was put in handcuffs on a United Airlines flight this past weekend, leading to an apology from United Airlines (AP)

NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis was detained by FBI agents on a United Airlines flight this past weekend.

The incident took place on Saturday while Davis was travelling from Denver, Colorado to Orange County, California with his family.

In an Instagram post, Davis, 51, described how he was trying to get the attention of a flight attendant by tapping his arm to request a cup of ice for his son, when the attendant shouted: “Don’t hit me!”

The flight attendant then left and did not speak to Davis for the rest of the flight.

When the plane landed at John Wayne Airport, Davis says that six law enforcement agents, from the FBI and local police department, boarded the plane, placed him in handcuffs and removed him from the flight.

“I was – and remain – humiliated, embarrassed, powerless, and angry,” Davis wrote, in the post.

“The traumatizing experience of my two sons, my daughter, and my wife watching me being placed in handcuffs – without due process or any explanation – cannot be undone,” he added.

During questioning, law enforcement agents determined that no crime was committed and Davis said they apologised to him.

United Media Relations told The Independent : “This is clearly not the kind of travel experience we strive to provide, and we have reached out to Mr. Davis’s team to apologize.

“We have removed the flight attendant from duty while we closely review this matter.”

The FBI said in a statement that agents and local police in Orange County “responded to a report about an incident that had occurred aboard a flight which required further investigation.”

They said the person detained “was cooperative with law enforcement and was released to continue his travels.”

The statement did not identify Davis by name.

Davis’ legal team has been in touch with United Airlines. “I refuse to stand by without speaking out on this disgusting display of injustice and deplorable treatment by United Airlines,” he wrote on Instagram.

Davis is widely considered one of the best ever running backs in the NFL and played for the Denver Broncos for seven seasons until he retired in 2001. He is in the Broncos Ring of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He is now a successful businessman and a partner in the financial firm, Alpha 1.